孩提時期

公庶母王氏撫育。清道光廿年一歲。漸長。遊戲輒以聚土為菩薩像等拜之。讀書課餘喜閱佛經善書修身格言。有關身心性命之學。尤為好樂。此足徵公得天獨厚。賦性非凡。

宣化偈曰：
遊戲讀書露性天。好樂聖典豈偶然。
於斯已悟真俗諦。不二法門願荷擔。

Bringing up the child

 The Master's stepmother, who was from the Wang family, took care of his upbringing. The 20th year of the Tao Kuang reign period in the Ch'ing Dynasty (1840) was his first year. When he played during his childhood, he instinctively made Bodhisattva images out of dirt and bowed to them. He was quite happy to peruse Buddist Sutras and works on morality, self-cultivation, and wise sayings . Studies concerning the moral conduct of body and mind especially interested him. His preternatural gifts were developed and subtle – not all common.

The verse says:
Whether playing or reading books, in all he did, his character and inclination were revealed.
The pleasure he took in the sagely scriptures-how could it be by any chance?
Just right here he awakened to the Actual and mundane Truths.
And thus he vowed to undertake the Non-Dual Dharma-door.